"Innocence" is a song by British singer and songwriter

Kirsty MacColl Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) was a British singer and songwriter, daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl. She recorded several pop hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He ...

, which was released in 1989 as the third single from her second studio album '' Kite''. It was written by MacColl and Pete Glenister, and produced by Steve Lillywhite. "Innocence" reached No. 80 in the UK and remained in the charts for four weeks. The song's music video was filmed in the back garden of MacColl's home in Ealing. It was directed by Sarah Tuft and features a cameo appearance from Edward Tudor-Pole.

Critical reception

On its release,

Curiosity Killed the Cat Curiosity Killed the Cat was a British pop band that achieved success in the UK in the late 1980s, with hit singles such as " Down to Earth", " Misfit" and " Ordinary Day", from their No. 1 debut album, '' Keep Your Distance''. This was follo ...

, as guest reviewers for '' Number One'', rated the single three out of five stars. Julian Brookhouse considered the song to be "very Beatley" and added, "I think this'll be a hit". Migi Drummond felt it was "a good song to play in all Irish pubs". In a review of the 'Guilt Mix', Tim Southwell of ''

Record Mirror ''Record Mirror'' was a British weekly music newspaper between 1954 and 1991 for pop fans and record collectors. Launched two years after the ''NME'', it never attained the circulation of its rival. The first UK album chart was published in ''Re ...

'' wrote, "This song finds Kirsty and her sidekicks in playful, nay, frivolous mood. While retaining its original catchy nature, 'Innocence' has also acquired a mocking quirkiness which suggests that everyone had a wonderful time in the recording studio." Dave Jennings of ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

'' described the song as "engaging, entertaining viciousness" and commented, "Here's another neat bit of juxtaposition. Jaunty Beatleish guitars and skipping rhythms dance rings around Kirsty, who stands still in the midst of it all impassively delivering her mordant lines. 'Innocence' is undeniably a sharp-witted verbal laceration of some loathsome business bod." In a review of ''Kite'', Robin Denselow of ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' noted the song's "burst of good-time country". Steve Pick of the ''

St. Louis Post-Dispatch The ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' is a major regional newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, serving the St. Louis metropolitan area. It is the largest daily newspaper in the metropolitan area by circulation, surpassing the ''Belleville News-Dem ...

'' commented, "Of her own songs, I'm particularly fond of 'Innocence,' with its bouncy vocal melody and interlocking guitar lines. The lyrics concern a bitter end to a relationship, although she delivers them with considerable humor." Eric McClary of the ''

Reno Gazette-Journal The ''Reno Gazette Journal'' is the main daily newspaper for Reno, Nevada. It is owned and operated by the Gannett Company. It came into being when the ''Nevada State Journal'' (founded on November 23, 1870) and the ''Reno Evening Gazette'' (fou ...

'' wrote, "The intensely personal attacks of 'Innocence' and 'The End of a Perfect Day' are more cleverly couched in falsely lighthearted music, and therefore they pack a more devastating punch." In a retrospective review of the song, Stewart Mason of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote, "The deceptively savage 'Innocence' kicks off ''Kite'' in a breezily subversive manner, setting a lyric of immense emotional violence to an upbeat and bouncy tune with an icily ironic singalong chorus. The lyrics are so plainly mean-spirited that even

Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus Order of the British Empire, OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in ...

circa 1978 would feel sorry for her victim."

Track listing

;7" single #"Innocence" (Remix) - 3:59 #"Clubland" - 4:03 ;10" single (UK limited edition release) #"Innocence" (Remix) - 3:59 #"Don't Run Away From Me Now" - 2:58 #"Innocence" (The Guilt Mix) - 5:54 #"Clubland" - 4:03 ;12" single #"Innocence" (The Guilt Mix) - 5:54 #"No Victims" (Guitar Heroes Mix) - 4:23 #"Clubland" - 4:03 ;CD single #"Innocence" (Remix) - 3:59 #"No Victims" (Guitar Heroes Mix) - 4:23 #"Innocence" (The Guilt Mix) - 5:54 #"Clubland" - 4:03

Personnel

- lead vocals * Pete Glenister - acoustic guitar, electric guitar * Yves N'Djock - electric guitar * Colin Stuart - acoustic guitar * Pino Palladino - bass * Mel Gaynor - drums *

Gavyn Wright Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra. He is best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions (including Elton John, Simply Red, Bush, Mecano, Oasis, ...

, Mark Berrow, Ben Cruft,

Wilfred Gibson Wilfred Gibson (28 February 1942 — 21 October 2014) was an English violinist, session musician, and early member of the Electric Light Orchestra. Early life Wilfred Gibson was born on 28 February 1942 in Dilston, Northumberland. He received ...

, Roy Gillard, David Woodcock - violins * Jamie Lillywhite, Louis Lillywhite - backing vocals Production * Steve Lillywhite - producer of "Innocence", remixer on "No Victims (Guitar Heroes Mix)" * Steve Chase, Colin Stuart - engineers on "Innocence" * Noel Harris - recording assistant on "Innocence" * Pete Glenister, Neil Brockbank - remix of "Innocence" * Kirsty MacColl, Colin Stuart - producers of "Clubland" and "Don't Run Away from Me Now" * Fred DeFaye - mixing on "Clubland" * Colin Stuart, Fred DeFaye,

Neil Brockbank Neil Brockbank (February 1951 – 30 May 2017) was a British record producer, audio engineer and bass player. He is known for working in close collaboration with Nick Lowe spanning 25 years, producing all of Lowe's albums since 1994's ''The Impos ...

- remixers of "Innocence (The Guilt Mix)" Other * Andrew McPherson - photography * Bill Smith Studio - sleeve design

Charts

References

{{authority control 1989 songs 1989 singles Kirsty MacColl songs Songs written by Kirsty MacColl Songs written by Pete Glenister Song recordings produced by Steve Lillywhite Virgin Records singles